1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to fireplaces, firepots, or fireboxes, more particularly to sectional fireplaces, firepots, or fireboxes, and most specifically to sectional fireplaces, firepots, or fireboxes adapted for stowage.
2. General Background
Fireplaces today are considered generally to provide aesthetic pleasure as opposed to the utilitarian purposes of a furnace or stove. Historically, of course, fireplaces provided the only means of heating and cooking within a given household. Consequently a hearth or fireplace came to convey basic feelings of comfort and security. `Keep the home fires burning` is a phrase and a song which is considered to indicate the profound depth of the human emotions associated with an operating fireplace wherein an elemental bond between people is recognized in the fire. Many definitions of man as opposed to animal have been suggested and other than addressing the matter theologically it is considered that the mastery of fire is about as good a distinction between man and beast as any other.
In short a fireplace, as opposed to a furnace or stove, is considered to provide something which is difficult to define but which is fundamental to the human race which has an aesthetic value in and of itself quite apart from the warmth and cooked food which formerly depended upon the wood burning fire. In the United States fireplaces are common to homes which possess central heating. Homes which rely upon a fireplace for the sole source of heating are considered comparatively rare in the United States currently. It is not uncommon to use a fireplace as an auxiliary source of heat but it is generally recognized as being more expensive than the primary source if not actually less than worthless with regard to heating a home because of the draft created, particularly if the damper is left open overnight because everyone retired prior to the fire burning out.
It is further considered that if wood is to be burned as a genuine means of providing heat in a home a cast iron stove does a much better job than a typical fireplace. Several aspects are concerned. A typical fireplace is brick or stone, disposed within a wall of a house, and has a brick or stone chimney extending upward as a part of that exterior wall of the house. Cast iron has superior specific heat retention and heat radiance to stone or brick and the stove is wholly within the house except for the portion of the chimney exterior to the same. A cast iron stove is hence considered to be generally recognized as a viable means of heating a structure largely comprised of a single large room such as a cabin and fireplaces are generally valued aesthetically.
A `free standing fireplace`, typically constructed of sheet steel and possessing at least one large window for viewing the burning fire, is considered as a sort of hybrid between a conventional built in fireplace and a cast iron stove. In contrast to the cast iron stove one may view the burning fire. In contrast to the built in fireplace the free standing fireplace provides good radiation of the heat produced. The sheet steel chimney is essentially the same as that typically utilized with a cast iron stove and being largely interior to the house and made of steel provide far more effective radiation of the heat carried through the same than is the case with a stone or brick chimney built into an exterior support wall of a static structure, i.e. building.
Fireplaces outdoors are also known, though mainly fires outdoors are established when and where desired with use of readily available materials such as rocks but what may be considered a fireplace outdoors is also well known in a form typically intended for use as grills and having concrete block construction. Many types of barbecue type grills are also known but none of these are intended for the burning of wood and hence none provide the aesthetic qualities discussed above with regard to a wood burning fireplace. Wood fires outside are also valued for the warmth obtainable therefrom and for enabling the cooking of food. However, there are a few drawbacks associated with the use of a wood fire built outside upon the ground regarding all three purposes.
Cooking upon an open wood fire is considered to be far more difficult than cooking on a grill. The warmth obtainable from such a fire is also often less than fully satisfactory. In truly cold weather an open fire generally has a very narrow range in which genuine comfort can be found. If one is facing the fire, moreover, one's back does not benefit in the obtainment of warmth from the fire and vice versa. And, thirdly, open wood fires built upon the ground have an unpleasant tendency to spread and are generally dangerous if not illegal if built in places other than those specifically designated for a camp fire. The building of an open wood fire upon the ground is hence generally restricted to established camp fire sites and it is considered that many people would enjoy the ability to view a wood burning fire outdoors in locations lacking safe or legal sites for camp fires.
In particular, it is considered that many people would like to enjoy a wood burning fire upon a deck of a house but a deck is typically made of wood and burns quite readily. Construction of a fireplace in brick or stone is simply not feasible upon a deck and while the use of grills of various sorts upon a wood deck is considered to be widely practiced a grill is for cooking and is neither intended to burn wood nor permit viewing of a fire therein.
Discussion of the Prior Art
Following is a chronological listing of references considered pertinent to the present invention which are each briefly discussed further below in the same order.
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date Title 21,938 Buchanan 2 Nov. 1858 Stove 90,537 Helm 25 May 1869 Heating Stove 110,274 Old 20 Dec. 1870 Heating Stove 313,441 Nativel 3 March 1885 Fire Place And Chimney 363,210 Cooper 17 May 1887 Portable Fire Place and Flue 1,342,329 Freeman 1 June 1920 Chimney 3,339,540 Kreider 5 Sept 1967 Portable Pre-Cast Fireplace 3,499,432 Hannebaum 10 March 1970 Heating Unit 4,112,913 Shimek et al. 12 Sept 1978 Free Standing Heating Unit 4,461,272 Larsson et al. 24 July 1984 Kachelofen
Buchanan discloses a sectional stove with a chimney top that is elevationally adjustable by means of a screw engaging an upright and with a base having legs which is all round in cross section taken normal the vertical axis. A third section comprised of an open grate or fire chamber is nested within the base and the chimney is bell shaped at bottom tapered into a truncated cone.
Helm discloses a bottle shaped `Heating Stove` constructed of relatively thin and uniform cross section cast steel which sits on a base with legs and has sliding doors for a plurality of radial openings which rest upon a ledge effected by an inset of the exterior sidewall. The upper part of the shell is necked and flares outward terminating in a horizontal top roof through which a vent is made. An open concave grate hangs from the bottom of the shell which is supported by legs in the legged base. The grate may be inverted to extend upward into the shell if desired.
Old discloses a heating stove which is mainly equipped with an internal mechanism using lugs riding inclines to provide vertical agitation in addition to rotational with rotation of a handle in a horizontal plane in order to more efficiently combust coal. The basic shell construction is in three sections: (a) an ash box which serves as a base and extends cylindrically upward upon which rests; (b) an egg shaped shell in which the fire box is located with a circular rim at top upon which rests; (c) an upper conical part which terminates in a circular opening.
Nativel discloses a sectional fire place and chimney possessing three main portions: the generally cylindrical fire place made of a plurality of stacked sections; the cylindrical chimney H also made of a plurality of stacked sections of reduced diameter; and a medial "top plate G" which possesses concave sides and a generally conical shape which is one piece and provides for the substantial diameter reduction between fireplace and chimney.
Cooper discloses a `Portable Fire Place and Flue` which is comprised of several different sections including a rectangular firebox comprised of a double wall, the outside being wood or other suitable material, the inside being sheet steel, the space in between meant to be filled with dirt or other suitable material and the entire device further meant to be disposed upon a foundation of stone or brick.
Freeman discloses a `Chimney` which:
"has reference to a novel construction of portable fire places for use in camps or like situations and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature made up of a plurality of easily assembled parts constituting a fire place and a chimney."
The rectangular flat bottom base has grooves into which tongues of base blocks are fit. Similarly, the "upper part" of the fire place is fit on top the base blocks and the chimney fit on top of this.
Kreider discloses a `Portable Pre-Cast Fireplace` which has a relatively shallow dish shaped base and a rounded, generally conical, cast concrete shell with a top bore into which a cylindrical chimney is disposed. Hannebaum discloses a free standing fireplace with a generally round shape with a cylindrical base opening out to a medial section enclosed by a plurality of contiguous glass panes vertically disposed in a polygon which is topped by a conical section terminating in a cylindrical chimney.
Shimek et al. disclose a free standing fireplace very similar to that disclosed by Hannebaum but with a central draft intake as opposed to a radial intake. Larsson et al. disclose a concentric upward, downward, upward vertical path for the draft of a stove which "has three coaxially nested tubular columns" (Abstract).
In summary it is considered that a number of sectional stoves and furnaces are known including the use of a straight sectioned chimney, a tapered portion medial to the firebox and the chimney, at least one lateral aperture to the firebox and a base section with or without legs, none of these disclose an arrangement of sections which substantially reduces the height and volume required of the unit in comparison with the height and volume of the unit in an operational state.
Statement of Need
The above discussed prior art is characterized by construction utilizing separable components or sections. While this construction does facilitate transportation in that the entire structure need not be moved as an integral and excessively heavy and cumbersome unit, no provision is found for the reduction of space required of the sections in aggregate. While construction in sections hence is known which essentially facilitates transport once to a given site, repeated transportation and storage during the intervals between use, which is considered to be characteristic of a genuinely portable fire box, would both clearly benefit from the capability of reducing the space required of the device. It is further considered that in the case of desiring a wood burning fire upon a deck, i.e. a wooden platform structure typically adjacent the exterior of a residence, movement of a fire place about the deck and storage of a fireplace in a compact and neat manner are also desirable. It is hence considered that a need therefore exists for a firebox made of separable sections which may be configured to occupy less space than required of the device when in operation.